Delhi liquor case: CBI questions Kavitha for over 7 hours

Hyderabad: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha in Delhi liquor scam case for more than seven hours at her residence in Hyderabad.

A team of CBI officials examined the Member of Legislative Council (MLC) of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at her Banjara Hills residence about the facts she may be acquainted with in the case.

The officials, including a woman, arrived in two vehicles amid tight security around 11 a.m. and the questioning started soon after.

The CBI recorded Kavitha’s statement under Section 160 of Criminal Procedure Code.

The central agency team left the place after 6 p.m. There was no official word about the questioning. Kavitha’s office is likely to issue a statement.

The surroundings of Kavitha’s house wore deserted before the arrival of the CBI officials as she had requested her supporters and BRS leaders and workers not to gather there.

Barricades were erected to prevent any gathering. BRS sources said this was done as a gathering might be seen as an attempt to create hurdles in the CBI investigation.

The CBI, in its notice to Kavitha, had mentioned that the case was registered on the basis of written complaint received from Praveen Kumar Rai, Director in the Union Home Ministry against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia and 14 others regarding the allegations pertaining to excise policy of Delhi for 2021-22.

“During the course of investigation of the subject cited case, certain facts have emerged which you may be acquainted with, hence your examination on such facts is required in the interest of investigation,” reads the CBI notice.

On November 30, Kavitha’s name had surfaced in the remand report filed by the ED in a Delhi court on Wednesday for remand of businessman Amit Arora in Delhi liquor policy scam.

According to the remand report, businessman Vijay Nair, who has already been arrested in the case, received kickbacks of Rs 100 crore on behalf of AAP leaders from a group, called ‘South Group’, controlled by Sarath Reddy, Kavitha and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy.

Sarath Reddy, one of the directors of pharma major Aurobindo Pharma, has already been arrested.

Srinivasulu Reddy is a member of Parliament belonging to Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).

Kavitha had initially agreed to the CBI’s request to meet them on December 6. However, she later wrote a letter to the agency seeking copies of the complaint from the Union Home Ministry and the FIR. In reply, the CBI informed her that a copy of FIR and complaint is available on the website.

Kavitha, in her response on December 5, conveyed to the central agency that she had carefully gone through the content of the FIR, list of accused persons as well as the contents of the complaint but found that her name does not figure in any manner whatsoever.

She had conveyed to the central agency that she is not in a position to meet them on December 6 and proposed alternate dates.

The CBI informed Kavitha on December 6 that a team will visit her residence in Hyderabad on December 11 for her examination and recording of her statement in connection with the investigation in the case.

The central agency has asked her to confirm availability on the said date and time. Kavitha sent a reply the same day confirming her availability on the day.